Sliding window fastener



April 3, 1951 R. w. GRAY SLIDING WINDOW FASTENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1949 INVENTOR. Roy W. Gray f/7/ AZ ATTORNEYS.

April 3, 1951 R. W. GRAY 2,547,315

SLIDING WINDOW FASTENER Filed Jan. :5, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 FIG. 2 /7 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

. Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to fasteners for sliding Window sashes and has for an object particularly to provide a fastener which will yield under pressure to movement of the sash in one-direction while positively holding the sashfrom movement in the other direction except when the latching element is operated to a fully retracted position. Such fastener structure, while applicable to the usual cord and weight supported sashes is particularly well adapted to spring supported window sashes, in that it may be used to retain the sash in the desired position even though the spring support becomes weakened due to long use or other causes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener latch casing which is extremely cornn pact and short for mounting in the mid 'portion of a side frame of a window sash within the connes of the inner edge of the frame where it will not be visible from the exterior of the window; the preferred details of such constructions being amplified hereinafter.

Another object of the invention is to provide latches having casings for mounting one on each of two companion sliding window sashes wherein the latch casing is formed with a depression in which the latch operating fingerpiece is substantially received so that the parting rail of the lower sash will pass beyond the latch on the upper sash and with the further advantage that the latch operator cannot be seen from the exterior of the window.

Another object of the invention is to provide in such a latch, a latch operating member which may be turned when the latch bolt is in its retracted position to lock the latch in such position without having to draw the bolt back further than the fully retracted position whereby the length of the latch casing may be shorter than would be required where the bolt has to be drawn back further than the fully retracted position for locking it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch wherein the latch boltl is reversible and the latch operating member, in addition to being turned to the retracted position of the bolt, may be withdrawn therefrom and the latch bolt reversed Ain the casing for operation of the latch in the opposite direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch bolt of generally cylindrical cross section wherein thel operating end consists of substantially a half of the bolt section to provide a maximum wearsurface as distinguished from a point engagement afforded by a cylindri- 2 cal surface with a latch plate on a side which permits movement of the closure member to which the latch is attached by effecting a yielding of the latch bolt.

Fur-ther objects, advantages and details of my improved fastener will appear in the following speciii'cation supplemented by the accompanying drawings illustrating a highly satisfactory ernbodiment of a latch for fastening .sliding window sashes and a preferred manner of application of fasteners thereto in which drawings:

Fig. l1 is an elevation view, parts broken away, of a window having two sliding sashes illustrating a preferred manner of applying fasteners thereto in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation view of the window sashes shown in Fig. l with parts of the side jainbs broken away to illustrate the latch bar with which the latch fasteners cooperate.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective View of the four elements of the latching member in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View also taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 of the latching member with the bolt in retracted position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the latching member taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the same taken on the line l-l of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the upper and lower window sashes i!! and ii respectively are illustrated as being spring suspended very much the same as disclosed in the patent to Madsen 1,889,752 of Demember 6, i932, except that both springs l2 and E3 for supporting the respective sashes i6 and li are arranged along the vexterior corners of the sash side frames instead of the inner side of one and the outer side of the other. As shown, the outer stop ls, the parting strip E5 and side jamb it are recessed to cooperate with the exterior corner recesses of the frame sides il and I8 of sashes i3 and I l for the reception of the respective Asprings i2 and i3. ln such arrangement there is no interference with the fasteners-latches i3 and 2G and their respective latch plates 2i and i2 which as shown are located on the inner side of the sashes preferably at mid portions thereof.

The simple fastener latch iii, latch 2t being the same structural elements, in accordance withy my invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the exploded perspective view, Fig. 4,

and as shown is composed of four separate members-an elongated combined housing 23 and mounting plate 24, a latch bolt 25, a compression spring 26 and an operating stud 21.

Each mounting plate 23 has four screw holes 28 for the reception of screws 23 for mounting the latches in the side members l1 and i8 of windowsashes lil and the frame members being mortised as shown at 35 in Fig. 2 for the reception of the housing and mounting plate structure. It will be noted that this Structure is relatively short so that when mounted along the outer marginal edges 3| of the frame members |1 and I3 the inner end of the mounting plates 24 are well within the confines of the inner edges 32 of the frame members l1 and I8 of windows having standard size frames.

The housing and mounting structure is prefery ably an integral structure such as a casting the housing portion being of a length long enough for a bore -33 open at its forward end, and of the length required for the reception of the latch bolt and spring 23 in a projected position as shown in Fig. 2 and a retracted position with spring 26 fully compressed as shown in Fig. 5.

In this structure the mounting plate 2t is provided with a central oval shaped depression 34 in the bottom of which is a longitudinal slot 35 ending at its rear end in a bore 35 of a diameter slightly greater than the width of the slot, entering the bore 33 of the bolt housing 23. This provides for the reception of operating stud 21.

Operating stud 21 comprises a cylindrical shank 31, and a finger piece 56. The shank 31 is for entering engagement with a bore 38 in the rear end portion of latch bolt 25 and the diameter of the shank is only slightly smaller than the diameter of bore 36. The shank has a reduced portion 33 formed by cutting away the sides thereof so that such reduced portion will enter the slot 35 when the shank is in assembled relation to the latch bolt and turned, as by iingerpiece 40, to align the faces of the reduced portion with the longitudinal walls of slot 35. The depression 33 partially houses the ngerpiece 4D which is on the outer end of shank 31 adjacent to the reduced portion 39 thereof. In this arrangement the shank 31 may be inserted into or withdrawn from the bore 38 of the latch bolt 25, through the housing bore 35. The spring 26 projects the bolt and operating stud 21, with the reduced portion 39 in slot 35, to a maximum extent determined by the length of slot 35 which is, slightly greater than required for the end 4| of the bolt to engage its latch plate, 2| or 22. While the reduced portion 33 is anywhere in slot 35 the operating stud 21 is retained in assembled relation with the latch bolt against axial movement, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Thus the operating stud can be removed from the latch bolt 25 only when the shank 31 is in the bore 36. When the shank 31 is in the bore 36, it may be turned as shown in Figs. 5 and '7 so that the reduced portion 31 will not reenter slot 35 and will hold the latch bolt in such retracted position. When the shank is turned so the reduced portion will not enter slot 35, the operating stud 21 with its shank 31 may be entirely'withdrawn from the latch housing and bolt 25, so that the bolt may be reversed from position in fastener I3, to that in fastener 22, as best shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 2, 5, 6 and '1 the provision of recess 34 in the mounting plate 24 permits the operating stud ingerpiece 43 to be substantially housed therein only partially projecting therefrom, not enough in fastener I9 in upper sash i0 to interfere with the passage of the parting rail 4| of lower sash over the fingerplece. The latch bolt 25, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4

Y.and 5 and the cooperation of the bolt members with latch plates 2| and 22 as illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, as stated consists of a cylindrical member or rod with an operating stud shank receiving bore 38 through it adjacent to its inner end. The forward end of bolt 25 is cut away for a short distance along a plane substantially along its axis to present a substantially fiat back surface 42 with forward end 43 rounded for selective engagement in rounded depressions 44 in the latch plates 2| and 22 at the end of each inclined step portion 45 thereof on one side and the shoulder abutment 46 on the other side of each depression M. Latch plates 2| and 22 are embedded in recesses 41 in the side window jamb |5 of a depth to place them for proper cooperation with the latch bolts-25 and within the sash engaging outer surface of the jamb. The latch plates are appropriately held in place in wooden window frame constructions by wood screws 48 passing through screw holes in the ends of the plates.

In operation, it will be seen that the fastener member I9 will effectively hold the upper sash i6 from being lowered except when the bolt 25 is retracted by its operating stud 21 and the window may be held in any desired adjusted lower position as provided by the length of the ratchet bar 2 i. With the rounded end 43 of the bolt 25 in a latch bar depression 44, held therein by the compression spring 26, the window sash is held against further lowering by the engagement of the back portion A9 of the bolt engaging the shoulder 46 of the latch bar. However the sash may be raised, spring 25 yielding to permit the rounded end 430i bolt 25 to ratchet out of the depression and over the inclined steps of the latch bar until the sash has reached its upper closed position. Similarly fastener member 26, with its latch bolt 25 in a reversed position, cooperates with latch bar 22 to prevent raising of the sash without retracting the bolt but permits the lowering thereof.

By this operation of the fastener members it will be seen that the formation of theoperating ends 42 of the latch bolts 25 with the cutaway portions have the advantage that they afford maximum Widths for surface engagements with the latch bars 2| and 22 thereby reducing the wear on the ends of the bolt members and avoiding cutting grooves in the latch bars. 'Ihese cutaway portions do not reduce the strength of the bolt members as the engagement of the shoulders 46 of the latch bars with the back portions 49 'of the bolts 25 is such that pressure against the shoulders is effective on the full cross section of the bolt beyond the cutaway portion as appears in the drawings.

Having described in detail a highly satisfactory embodiment of my invention it is not desired to limit my invention to spring supported sashes or wooden window constructions although for such constructions it has highly important advantages. Obviously modifications and other embodiments fall within the scope of my invention as particularly set forth in the following claims.

I claim: f

l. Fastening means for a sliding window sash or the like having a window sash frame wherein an upright side frame element thereofsubstantially midway between its upper and lower ends is provided with a latch comprising a combined housing and mounting plate embedded within the confines of the side frame with its mounting plate outer side surface even with the inner surface of the side frame where it is out of view from the exterior of the window and substantially out of reach from above or below the sash from the exterior, said housing having a laterally extending latch bolt bore and the mounting plate, a longitudinal operating stud slot communicating with the latch bolt bore; a compression spring in the back end of the latch bolt bore in the housing, and a latch bolt in said bore in front of said compression spring having a rounded outer end; an operating stud having a shank extending through said slot and connected with said latch bolt, and a ngerpiece on said shank operable for retracting the same; and a longitudinal latch plate in the casing for the Window in a position to be engaged by the latch bolt in its projected position for holding the window sash at any desired elevation yieldably in one direction and positively in the other direction said plate having a series of sloping walls terminating in rounded depressions which cooperate with the rounded outer end of the latch bolt to yieldably hold the Window against normal pressures in a closing direction, and abutments adjacent said depressions for cooperation with said latch bolt to afford additional holding means for positively holding the window against movement in an opening direction.

2. A fastener for sliding Window sashes and the like including, a latch housing with a latch bolt bore extending longitudinally therein and having a slotted opening extending from said bore through a side of the housing, a compression spring and a latch bolt in said bore, and an operating stud connected with latch bolt and extending through the slot in the housing for operating the bolt against the action of saidspring to a retracted position; said bolt comprising a cylindrical member having a substantial portion of one side of its projecting operating end cut away to present a substantial surface on its back side and the projecting reduced portion terminating in a rounded surface extending cross- Wise of the :bolt body; and a latch plate for cooperating With said operating end of the latch bolt comprising a longitudinal plate having a series of inclined surfaces each terminating in a rounded depression into which the rounded terminal end of the bolt is projected under the influence of said compression spring, followed by an abrupt shoulder defining the outer end of the next succeeding inclined surface against which the front side of the latch bolt is adapted to engage as a stop to prevent movement in the direction of the next inclined surface portion of the latch plate, while the latch bolt will yield to retraction of its rounded end from the rounded depression in the latch plate for movement along the inclined surfaces thereof in the opposite direction.

ROY W. GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 472,088 Walker Apr. 5, 1892 543,226 Atwood vf July 23, 1895 866,073 Saunders Sept. 17, 1907 2,018,281 Roberts Oct. 22, 1935 2,197,328 Wilson Apr. 16, 1940 

